Recognize Quality Marijuana Seeds

In this article we will discuss:

High-quality cannabis starts with good genetics. If you know what you’re hoping to get out of your buds, then you’ll want to do some research on available strains to make sure you maximize your chances. As a bottom line, you want to make sure that you are using healthy viable marijuana seeds, otherwise you won’t get any crop at all! The best place to start is with a reputable seed company.

The first step for most new growers is to extract seeds from large commercially purchased bags of cannabis. This is likely the easiest way to get seeds, but be warned— the cannabis has already been heavily processed and packaged. Huge quantities of bud are dried and cured together en masse, and then snipped and stuffed into big vacuum-sealed bags.

Throughout all of this, they might go through a lot of rough handling and questionable environments. Since the legality surrounding cannabis cultivation is hazy in most parts of the world, there aren’t very many regulations that need to be followed. Instead of leaving it to hope that you might find quality seeds in your stash, read this guide first. If you want to make your own feminized seeds, read my article How to make feminized seeds.

What are quality marijuana seeds

What this means for the consumer is that it can be difficult to get good seeds. Seeds are, in fact, considered undesirable by most commercial growers, and many of the seeds that sneak into the end product never reached full maturity before being harvested. There’s just no good reason for commercial cultivators to ensure that each and every bud has reached maximum maturity and that the seeds are robust and healthy.

The only reason you’ll be able to find marijuana seeds at all is the difficulty growers have in finding and removing all of the seeds. Commercial growers have nothing to gain by offering free seeds to consumers. Another factor that can come up is freezing seeds, especially in northern latitudes. You won’t know if the seeds have been frozen when you get your cannabis, but if the seeds have in fact been frozen, they are far less likely to produce viable plants.

With moderately healthy stock, you’re likely to see about one in every three cannabis seeds actually sprout. Although relatively robust, there are many factors which can prevent sprouting: seeds with damaged husks, immature seeds, or seeds that have been damaged by environmental extremes. Additionally, seeds won’t last forever. If the seeds are too old, they are also very unlikely to sprout.

There are a couple steps to take when culling seeds to make sure you are saving the best candidates for sprouting. While you’ll never reach a perfect success rate, you can learn to discern good seeds from bad ones. Mature cannabis seeds are a dark brown, often marbled through with lighter shades or stripes. In general, you’re better off avoiding seeds that are pale green or white since these probably aren’t mature. Big fat seeds are ideal, and they should have a fairly rounded shape. You can use smaller seeds too, but as a rule of thumb, you’re more likely to develop a healthy sprout from a bigger healthier seed.

How to find the best seeds

Cannabis seeds grow underneath the buds themselves, sandwiched in between the plant matter and the parent stem. They’re difficult to see because of these and have a cushion of protection to guards against all of the drying, curing, processing, and packaging that they’ll go through before they get to you. This is why seeds manage to survive at all.

Young marijuana seeds are also protected by a white-green cellulose sheath that will wither and fall away as the seed matures. To remove them from the plant itself, the best method is to simply find them and gently nudge them free of the stems with a little finger or thumbnail. Feel free to discard any seeds with damaged or scratched surfaces. The same is true for any immature seeds with white seed coats.

Veteran growers might want to grow a mix of both male and female plants, but this is not recommended for most growers, especially inexperienced ones. There is a high risk of inadvertent fertilization, which can ruin the yield of an entire crop. Unfertilized female plants produce the biggest and best yields.

Fertilized females can still provide a crop, but the end yield will inevitably be much smaller and the buds filled with seeds. Mainly they can provide the seeds necessary for the next generation. Multigenerational breeding is extremely complex, however, and extends beyond the scope of what we’ll talk about here. For now, consider purchasing feminized seeds from a commercial distributor. This will simplify the process, and make it much easier to get started if you’re new to cannabis cultivation.

Keep in mind that if you do end up purchasing feminized seeds, you will get only female plants. With no males in the area to pollinate the female plants, you won’t get very many seeds if you get any at all. Over the long-term, this can be something of a drawback for a home grower since it’s impossible to harvest seeds for the next crop. It also means you won’t be able to reproduce the same crop, which can be frustrating if you find a strain that you really like. Read more in the article What are regular, feminized and autoflowering marijuana seeds

Buying top shelf seed

It takes a lot of trust to buy cannabis seeds. There’s no way to know what strain you’re getting by looking at the seeds themselves. You won’t know anything about the genetics, except the information you’re given by whomever you’re purchasing from. This is one of the biggest reasons why you’d want to purchase your seeds from a reputable company or seed bank. Random dealers won’t necessarily know any better than you what strain they have.

When you buy seeds, try to choose a seed bank or company that offers some client support. Cultivating cannabis isn’t too difficult, but because of the nature of the plant, you can’t just ask friends and family for help and support. Usually seed banks and commercial companies will be available for some troubleshooting since it’s in their best interest to help customers and maintain a positive reputation.

It takes a lot of experience and expertise to produce high-quality seeds. The entire process of selecting, testing and producing a batch of seeds can take up to a year or more. Still, it’s worth it to know you have the right strain, and in a feminized form.

The founder of I Love Growing Marijuana, Robert Bergman is a marijuana growing expert that enjoys sharing his knowledge with the world. He combines years of experience, ranging from small-scale grows to massive operations, with a passion for growing. His articles include tutorials on growing... [read more]

By Cook Contra

,13 Sep 2016

I hope you kept the seeds and grew it. You never know, Ive had that happen before, especially outside. If someone else within a 10-mile radius( a little more for windy conditions) will pollinate anyone’s crop. so you could have […]Read More

I hope you kept the seeds and grew it. You never know, Ive had that happen before, especially outside. If someone else within a 10-mile radius( a little more for windy conditions) will pollinate anyone's crop. so you could have some new strain. In my opinion, no matter what, always grow them. I've had a few Hermaphrodite Female Dominants that are still some of my best ever. I don't know how it worked, but now I get 7 out of 10 as females from those seeds, and its very nice. a crazy grandaddy/jack/bluedream,lemon og green crack mix. I seeded on purpose 1 harvest. The best choice ever, I just left all plants(male/female/hermies and all) from all those strains from a buddies previous mix. A skunky grape, a flowery grape, a sativa dominant purple, and many more. Less Content

By mark talley

,21 Jul 2014

Hello, folks. I’m a 66 year old retired US Navy vet who takes Prozac for depression. I also ,in the past, have discreetly grown a few different strains of marijuana to supplement the Prozac. Each strain of marijuana I use […]Read More

Hello, folks. I'm a 66 year old retired US Navy vet who takes Prozac for depression. I also ,in the past, have discreetly grown a few different strains of marijuana to supplement the Prozac. Each strain of marijuana I use has been approved for use in treating depression and/or anxiety in users. I live in northern Kentucky where medicinal marijuana use is still against the law. As it happened, around six weeks ago, the police were called by my wife to our residence because of a verbal argument we were having. Upon arriving at my house, one of the officers noticed the smell of marijuana. The officers searched my house and found that I was growing several plants on my back porch. I was arrested and put in jail. All of my seeds, one four foot florescent grow light, one magic-flight Power Adapter vape, and a couple of ounces of bud were confiscated by the officers.
Before this time, I have never been arrested for anything. None of my neighbors were aware of what I was doing. None of my closest friends were even aware that I smoked marijuana to help treat the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that caused me to suffer from anxiety and stress.
Does anyone have any ideas about how I can handle my situation? Your advise and help with this matter will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark Less Content

By bert

,15 Mar 2017

Unfortunately mark, I also live in northern KY and suffer from red actal epilepsy, have been told that medical marijuana is probably my only option for seizure free life but the only option I have for obtaining this is illegal […]Read More

Unfortunately mark, I also live in northern KY and suffer from red actal epilepsy, have been told that medical marijuana is probably my only option for seizure free life but the only option I have for obtaining this is illegal and if I get caught I'm just screwed the same way you are cuz this state will be the last one to legalize medical marijuana your friend bert Less Content

By Larry Kirk

I’m in the eastern USA . It is hard as he’ll to find good seeds. I love to grow it. I’ve had two back surgerys doctors don’t want to help. Is this site realible to get my seeds or am […]Read More

I'm in the eastern USA . It is hard as he'll to find good seeds. I love to grow it. I've had two back surgerys doctors don't want to help. Is this site realible to get my seeds or am I gonna get my money took again Less Content

By Nik Nicolaou

,05 Dec 2014

Hi. I read about the section on Quality seeds. I have received 3 different batches of seeds from you . I see that the seeds you sent me were no where near as good as the seeds shown on your […]Read More

Hi. I read about the section on Quality seeds. I have received 3 different batches of seeds from you . I see that the seeds you sent me were no where near as good as the seeds shown on your web site. I got sort of light, small, seeds, no colour pattern at all. I germinated about 14 seeds since September 2014 and did not get a result , just really slow growth and then only grew to vege state. Can I send you back the seeds to show you what I mean. my first order was 1231 bought 20/06/2014 order 7383 was of very small seeds and yet to try them. Do different strains have different seeds of different sizes? Thank you Nik Less Content

By Jennifer ILGM

By Mick K

,11 Mar 2016

I got a friend that smokes a vaperizor and he smokes his weed on a low temperature during the day which gives him a energetic sativa high then he takes this part toasted weed and vapes it on a high […]Read More

I got a friend that smokes a vaperizor and he smokes his weed on a low temperature during the day which gives him a energetic sativa high then he takes this part toasted weed and vapes it on a high temp for sleeping-weird taste at high temp but low temp is like fruity sunshine wow! Less Content

By Ann

,25 Aug 2015

Hi Robert, I was reading Ur Cannabis Grow Bible, in the ‘about quality marijuana seeds’, and seen that U asked to leave a comment. ~ I personally prefer Sativa strains over Indica. I like the awake feeling with creative and […]Read More

Hi Robert, I was reading Ur Cannabis Grow Bible, in the 'about quality marijuana seeds', and seen that U asked to leave a comment. ~ I personally prefer Sativa strains over Indica. I like the awake feeling with creative and motivational properties, not to mention the attitude adjustment. I know at some point all cannabis will help me go to sleep, or keep me going, depends on what is needed at the time. At 55, I have smoked a number of years, on and off. I don't want to get into the whole thing, but my childhood and my first marriage SUCKED! (can U still have PTSD, even at 55 if counseling was never part of the adult life:?) A side from this, cannabis helps with all the older age stuff I'm dealing with pain & rejection. Less Content

By latewood.ILGM

By latewood.ILGM

,24 May 2016

Jessica. NO it is not. Better get to it! Auto flowers and Indica strains is what I would limit myself to. Staiva can take 5-6 months to finish. Plan ahead for some sort of protection for your crop if you […]Read More

Jessica. NO it is not. Better get to it! Auto flowers and Indica strains is what I would limit myself to. Staiva can take 5-6 months to finish. Plan ahead for some sort of protection for your crop if you get into an early cold snap.
Happy growing, lw Less Content

By latewood.ILGM

No it is not too late. Use auto flower or Indica dominanat strains. Sativa may not finish before it gets too cold. Plan on some sort of plant protection in case you run into an early cold snap.

No it is not too late. Use auto flower or Indica dominanat strains. Sativa may not finish before it gets too cold. Plan on some sort of plant protection in case you run into an early cold snap. Less Content

By Robert

By Freddie Cooks

,29 Jun 2016

I started my grow tent first yield was weak in size a friend told me to add C02 to the plants i tried this Master Grow C02 generator bags Bayou Blend on ebay only $18.00 much better crop good color […]Read More

I started my grow tent first yield was weak in size a friend told me to add C02 to the plants i tried this Master Grow C02 generator bags Bayou Blend on ebay only $18.00 much better crop good color and taller. Less Content

By latewood.ILGM

,30 Jun 2016

Freddie Cooks, Thanks for sharing. Perhaps you would be interested in joining out grow support forum;; We have many experienced and experts growers there always willing to help you grow bigger and better yields. See you there and Happy growing […]Read More

Freddie Cooks,
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps you would be interested in joining out grow support forum;; We have many experienced and experts growers there always willing to help you grow bigger and better yields. See you there and Happy growing :) Less Content

By Johnny cushing

,31 Jul 2016

Kentucky is in its final stages of either legalizing or saying no to medical marijuana. I have never tried to grow my own, I always go to my dealer. 2 years ago I was injured at work so now I […]Read More

Kentucky is in its final stages of either legalizing or saying no to medical marijuana. I have never tried to grow my own, I always go to my dealer. 2 years ago I was injured at work so now I am disabled and fighting with our government for my disability check. Long story short if Kentucky legalizes mm I am going to grow my own. I have been without for months now. Life's hard but I am a survivor. From your books I will grow my own. And I will buy my seeds from you when I can afford it. Less Content

By latewood.ILGM

,01 Aug 2016

Johnny cushing, I can promise you that Robert’s genetics are vibrant, germinate in 2-3 days and at a very high %. We have a very strong grow support forum,. Perhaps you would like to study up on growing information before […]Read More

Johnny cushing,
I can promise you that Robert's genetics are vibrant, germinate in 2-3 days and at a very high %. We have a very strong grow support forum,. Perhaps you would like to study up on growing information before you get started. :)
We hope to see you @ilovegrowingmarijuana.com Less Content

By Stefan

,02 Sep 2016

Is ilgm Seeds worth while buying? Or is it another dodgy seed store. The reason I ask is that I ordered Seeds from ams 6 weeks ago and still no Seeds. I just don’t want to get ripped off again. […]Read More

Is ilgm Seeds worth while buying? Or is it another dodgy seed store. The reason I ask is that I ordered Seeds from ams 6 weeks ago and still no Seeds. I just don't want to get ripped off again. Any help would be great. Also how long does it take for delivery to Australia. Any one ordered to Australia. Need advice before I can order. Lost trust in the seed banks at the moment. Can ilgm be trusted and are their Seeds of good quality. Less Content

By Roy ILGM

,05 Sep 2016

Hi Stefan, sorry to hear your previous experience with seedbanks wasn’t great. I can’t speak for others but we at ILGM want to uphold our name and hence give guarantee seeds arrive ánd germinate. If procedures were followed we replace […]Read More

Hi Stefan, sorry to hear your previous experience with seedbanks wasn't great. I can't speak for others but we at ILGM want to uphold our name and hence give guarantee seeds arrive ánd germinate. If procedures were followed we replace any seeds that don't. For shipments to Australia it can take up to 5-6 weeks for them to arrive and shipping is free. Hope this helps, you could also browse our support forum for experience. Happy growing! Less Content

By 620smitty

,06 Sep 2016

I have purchased seeds from ILGM for a couple od years now and all the seeds have germinated at 90% or better.I have tried other seed banks and they suck. ILGM is great and back up their promises to stand […]Read More

I have purchased seeds from ILGM for a couple od years now and all the seeds have germinated at 90% or better.I have tried other seed banks and they suck. ILGM is great and back up their promises to stand by their seeds. I have purchased most of their different strains and so far all have been great. Waiting for the newest strains to veg. Less Content

By Roy ILGM

By ROBERTO VON GROW

I HAVE MEDICAL SEEDS COMMING SOON ,BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTILE SPRING TO PLANT IN MY GREEN HOUSE ,,WILL THE SEEDS BE O.K. UNTILE THEN ?GROWING IN THE GREEN HOUSE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA RIGHT ?

I HAVE MEDICAL SEEDS COMMING SOON ,BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTILE SPRING TO PLANT IN MY GREEN HOUSE ,,WILL THE SEEDS BE O.K. UNTILE THEN ?GROWING IN THE GREEN HOUSE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA RIGHT ? Less Content

By Roy ILGM

,19 Sep 2016

As long as you keep them cold, dark and dry the seeds will be viable indefinitely. We’ve heard of seeds laying in a corner for years that still popped up! We suggest keeping the seeds in a dark container with […]Read More

As long as you keep them cold, dark and dry the seeds will be viable indefinitely. We've heard of seeds laying in a corner for years that still popped up! We suggest keeping the seeds in a dark container with silica packets or rice to keep them dry and storing them in the fridge for as long as you are not using them. Green house growing gives you a bit more control of the environment :D Less Content

By Lloyd Noland

,21 Dec 2016

I purchased the Big Bud kit. When it arrived I was somewhat surprised the seeds looked a pale green (unlike the healthy seeds pictured in Roberts grow bible). I proceeded to germinate six seeds in a wet paper towel. Three […]Read More

I purchased the Big Bud kit. When it arrived I was somewhat surprised the seeds looked a pale green (unlike the healthy seeds pictured in Roberts grow bible).
I proceeded to germinate six seeds in a wet paper towel. Three days latter two of the seeds sprouted. The sprouts were very Wimpy. I was not surprised because of how the seeds looked. Two weeks latter only one continues to grow. I germinated 6 seeds in a potting soil mix because of the poor performance of the first batches outcome. Nine days latter none have sprouted. I tried to tell the ILGM staff about the immaturity of the seeds but got the cold shoulder. Look at what healthy seeds look like before you ship out seed orders.
Even if more seeds pulled through,It would have been a real challenge to grow healthy plants. Less Content

By Roy ILGM

,21 Dec 2016

Hi Lloyd, sorry to hear the seeds did not seem to function properly but I can see you’re already talking to Stacy on the matter. The two sprouts can still turn into hefty plants. Seeds that did not sprout can […]Read More

Hi Lloyd, sorry to hear the seeds did not seem to function properly but I can see you're already talking to Stacy on the matter. The two sprouts can still turn into hefty plants. Seeds that did not sprout can be returned for investigation. But please continue to handle this with our support staff, they are there to help you out :) Less Content

By kevin martin

By Ty cam

,06 May 2017

Looking at these replies a lot of people are unhappy with the quality of seeds they recieved from you guys. I am still waiting on my package to arrive I ordered 4-21-17 and it’s may 6th and still nothing. I’m […]Read More

Looking at these replies a lot of people are unhappy with the quality of seeds they recieved from you guys. I am still waiting on my package to arrive I ordered 4-21-17 and it's may 6th and still nothing. I'm from southern USA. But hearing these comments are making me second guess my purchase here Less Content

By Roy ILGM

,08 May 2017

Hey Ty, from what I can see is 9/10 coments are from happy customers. Every business has its up and downs but we always try to resolve any issues that occur. I trust your order will come through and you […]Read More

Hey Ty, from what I can see is 9/10 coments are from happy customers. Every business has its up and downs but we always try to resolve any issues that occur. I trust your order will come through and you will have some great plants as a result :D – I❤️GM Less Content

By Kelly

By JBC

,16 May 2018

I’m thankful that I’ve ordered from this company. As I wait for my seeds I have a couple of questions. Is it a good time to plant inside during the hot summer months? Is there a particular temp to use […]Read More

I’m thankful that I’ve ordered from this company. As I wait for my seeds I have a couple of questions.
Is it a good time to plant inside during the hot summer months? Is there a particular temp to use in order to grow big beautiful plants. I live in the southeast and I am excited for my grow to be perfect.
I am not going to grow outside or in my house. The grow room is being set up in another building here in the country.
I’m looking for replies.
Thanks Less Content

By latewood_ILGM

,17 May 2018

HBC, This article is not set up for this type of support. I suggest you joinus at: support.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com and our members and staff will be happy to guide you to a successful grow. Many of our members live in the […]Read More

HBC,
This article is not set up for this type of support. I suggest you joinus at: support.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com and our members and staff will be happy to guide you to a successful grow. Many of our members live in the Southeast, including me.
See you there! :) Less Content

By Funnelwebster

,29 Aug 2018

Hi. Ordered seeds from Brisbane, Australia. Arrived on the 10 th working day. First crop of seeds all popped within 48 hours. Very impressed. Had previously ordered seeds from AMS, first shipment never arrived, order was resent and took another […]Read More

Hi. Ordered seeds from Brisbane, Australia. Arrived on the 10 th working day. First crop of seeds all popped within 48 hours. Very impressed. Had previously ordered seeds from AMS, first shipment never arrived, order was resent and took another 40 days. Not one of the seeds popped so lost a whole grow. I resorted to some seeds some hippy’s from nimbin (Australia’s marijuana capital....) as a test grow. Three plants in my grow tent, 2 were male so ended up with 1. Nice buds, learnt from a few mistakes. When my seeds didn’t germinate and I thought it would take a month or more to get some more, I cloned from the lower branches of a flowering plant, reverting it back to growth phase. Pretty chuffed with my first effort. Looking forward to the autoflowers and not having to worry about light cycles etc etc Less Content